And honestly I feel like even the females....look for something that stands out as different.

Even a Ducati can easily look like just another crotch rocket in many peoples minds.

Show up on a one-off cafe build...or something really retro vintage, and everyone will be staring....not just those who know bikes.

Look at it like this. I'm in Spain now. BMWs are a dime a dozen. Most Spanish wont give you a second glance. However the guys that brought American Muscle over like Challengers, Camaros, Mustangs, or even like Jeeps....they get stared at, questioned, people want pictures with the cars, girls want to go for rides, etc.

I have guys with 20k dollar Harleys that roll up and want to talk to me about my Triumph. Girls even more so. Seems like everyone loves em

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai of 2day

Sounds good to me... oh BTW, I like your avatar PIC... AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!! ( me sounding off with a loud and thunderous "AIRBORNE" ) lol

next year i shall have this. and hopefully not kill myself. the last time i rode a bike it was a dirt bike.. similar but i was dodging inanimate objects like trees and shrubs instead of 2Ton+ steel deathmobiles.

Generally, I've found girls/women in the UK are generally a bit 'meh' regarding modern bikes (especially sports bikes which are considered very anti-social in a lot of the UK)......whereas, a vintage bike has that 'Steve McQueen' coolness attraction factor and a Harley is usually all chrome and shiney and with often comes the WOW, you have a Harley response...... and ping goes the nicker elastic. You have to remember that Harley's here in the UK are VERY expensive compared to Jap sportsbikes etc., and even Duc's to a certain extent.

That makes sense. I can understand the difference in culture varies depending on demographic and location. I am sure the Harley gets the recognition it diserves, beause I have seen some amazing Harleys around.

Either way, as long as the rider is enjoying whatever it is they decided to go with, that is the most important thing. To be honest, when I was shopping for a new bike two months ago, I was on the fence for about a week trying to decide if I should get a cruiser for the first time, or go with another sport bike. Ultimately, I went with another sport bike but there are some overall great cafe racers, cruisers, dual sport etc motorcyles out there it can be difficult to choose which what to go sometimes!

Oh yeah, just be careful where your head is when the nicker elastic gives way... if your not careful you can lose an eye! haha

That Harley you are scoping out for next year is AWESOME!! What an amazing macine that is. That little creature you have running under the pic is funny as well.

use patience and get your bike when the time is right for you. When i first got into motorcycles, I knew I wanted a sportbike, and I still love the way they look, move and sound, but as the years have gone by, I am liking the cruisers more and more each day....

Nothing wrong with owning two bikes.... is there...? I'm gonna go broke if I keep this up...

Well, try to take someone who has been riding a while with you if you can.

I have no experience with buying used cruisers, but with sport bikes, someone with an attention to detail can always spot out some "tells" of a beaten up, poorly maintained, or crashed bike. Granted, if the seller knows what they are doing, you can make just about any bike look and sound and act like there is nothing wrong with it and was driven conservatively.

Equally important as the bike itself, you need to evaluate the guy that is selling it. Use your judge of character. Look around his garage. Is he neat and organized? Does he look like an avid do-it-yourselfer? Does he have an immaculately detailed car? Some of this may seem overkill but really, these things translate into how he treats his toy and maintains it. Ask him questions. Not necessarily to get answers, but to see how he responds. Simple stuff even can cause someone who has never changed their oil to stammer. So how often have you changed the oil on this bike? Did you do it yourself? What kind of oil and filters have you been using? What weight oil?

I know this seems ridiculous, but if simple questions like these are met with hesitation, stuttering, generic responses (like he just uses a simple brand name like "Repsol" and cant tell you what the weight specs on oil are) they are signs of someone lying, stalling, or trying to cover things.

As for physically on the bike itself...check out the condition of the tires, how much tread is left. Look at the bar ends (the ends of the handlebars) any scratches on these are a tell tale sign that the bike has been at least dropped, same as towards the bottom of the engine casing. Look towards the very bottom of the engine, and see if there is oil gunk down there showing that the bike may have been leaking before. Start the bike from cold, and listen to it as it warms up. An unusual noise is an unusual noise, doesnt matter if you dont know bikes. If it sounds out of the ordinary it probably is (exception of bikes like the older Ducatis with dry clutches). If you have your license and feel comfortable test riding it, take it out, note how it shifts. Does it shift smooth as it should, does the gearbox make unusually loud noises. Hammer on the throttle in 3rd or 4th gear (away from the owner of course lol) and note how it accelerates and sounds. Pay attention for hesitation, surging, sputtering etc. If you dont feel comfortable testing it, bring a friend that has been riding a while and knows what he is doing and have him do it.

A lot of it is common sense. Whatever brand/model you settle on, do your research. Find out what common problems are and what the signs of those problems are. Ask questions. Question every scrape, mark, or abnormality.

In the end it comes down to a gut instinct more than anything. Unfortunately its not like buying a car where you can somewhat easily look up vehicle history, accident reports, service records and all that.

This is a very conditional thing. And will ultimately be what you feel comfortable with. If a bike is maintained and taken care of...these motors can last a long, long time. I personally know someone with a Honda F4i Sportbike, that has over 200,000 miles on the ORIGINAL motor, and has never had a rebuild. He also has frequently tracked this bike. But as I said the magic mileage number is always a floating criteria, which you base on feelings that you develop from inspecting the bike and owner as I outlined above.

There is no such thing as a "deal" on a new bike. When you buy new all you are doing is a favor for the guy you end up selling it to for 1/2 to 3/4 of the price you paid for it, and taking that major depreciation hit for them.

^Speaking from experience.

Now, if your financial situation is such that you dont have to worry whatsoever about money, then buy new, used, custom, or whatever makes you happy.

There is no such thing as a "deal" on a new bike. When you buy new all you are doing is a favor for the guy you end up selling it to for 1/2 to 3/4 of the price you paid for it, and taking that major depreciation hit for them.

^Speaking from experience.

Now, if your financial situation is such that you dont have to worry whatsoever about money, then buy new, used, custom, or whatever makes you happy.

Well I'm no millionaire - but the bike i was leaning towards (Harley Iron 883 sportster) Is about $11K brand new - and a used one in good shape ranges from $7-9K - so there's not a huge difference in price. Granted it will lose value if i buy new but I will have piece of mind that it wasn't abused.

I prefer the Forty-Eight myself if you are going for Retro Vintage looks....

If it werent for the 2 gallon tank giving you only about a 50 mile range I would highly consider one!

I agree, Forty Eight is a nice bike, I test rode one last summer, and was tempted by one as I don't do much in the way of distance riding these days. They are very popular over here now, and most go the way of retro 'bobber' looks with lots of vintage style bits

Most people over here, swop out the tiny peanut tank for the larger capacity peanut tank from the Nightster.

ah well i guess i was misinformed. but yea thats def what im going for. my girlfriends dad is big into motorcycles and is going to help me find the right one and will probably teach me how to ride the damn thing too.

Cafe Racer was a term created in late 1950's/early 1960's United Kingdom, when lads (often referred to as Ton-Up boys) would emulate the look of the Isle of Man TT style racing bikes (Manx Norton, BSA Goldstars etc) by fitting clip-ons, rear sets, Manx style seats & tanks etc., to their BSA A10's, Triumph T100/T110's, Norton 88's etc and meet up at transport cafe's around the UK (such as the famous Ace Cafe, Busy Bee, Johnsons etc), and often race each other to other nearby cafes - hence the term Cafe Racer.